It’s 100 years today since the first ever Winter Olympics opened in Chamonix, France.
Originally conceived as the ‘International Winter Sports Week’ as a world winter sports competition festival in the same year as the already established summer Olympic Games, the IOC retrospectively decided a year later that Chamonix had in fact hosted the first Olympic Winter Games following the huge success of the event, which attracted more than 10,000 fans to the resort and drew worldwide media attention.
They also lasted a lot longer than a week, running from 25 January to 5 February 1924. 300 competitors from 16 nations took part with 200 journalist attending too.
Medals were awarded in 16 events contested in five sports (nine disciplines). Competitors took part in events including figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey (above), curling cross country skiing and military patrol (the fore runner of biathlon), ski jumping and bobsleigh.
Norway topped the table (as has since become the Winter Olympic norm), collecting seventeen medals in total, including four gold. Britain was sixth with four medals, however the curling team, from Scotland, were not officially recognised by the IOC until 82 years later due to debate as to whether the curling contest, which the Scots won easily in 1924, was a demonstration or official sport. A campaign led by ancestors of the curlers and backed by the Glasgow Herald newspaper was eventually successful in 2006.
Downhill skiing was not included in the first three Winter Olympics, first appearing at the Garmisch Games of 1936, however the 1924 Games also saw the establishment of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and Chamonix will host World Cup Kandahar ski races. Both the speed and technical racers on the men’s tour will be in Chamonix to compete in downhill and slalom races from the 2nd to 4th February.
The first ever Winter Olympic gold medalist was American Charles Jewtraw who won the 500-metre speed skating competition. However, every competitor at the first Games was awarded a medal for taking part. There was also one more gold medal awarded than there were events staged as Lt Col Edward Strutt, the deputy leader of an unsuccessful British expedition to climb Mount Everest in 1922, was awarded the medal at the closing ceremony.
Other notable competitors included 11-year-old Norwegian Sonja Henie of Norway, who was a big media sensation and fan favourite although she came last in the ladies’ figure skating competition, before taking gold at the next three Winter Olympics.
Picture above credit Olympic Museum Lausanne.
There’s a lot more information on the 1924 Games here.
Remembering The Games Today
Besides the upcoming World Cup competition, Chamonix has a number of exhibitions and events tied to the centenary of the Games. The upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are also seen as marking the centenary of Chamonix and the torch relay for Paris will pass through the town in the spring.
You can also stay or dine in hotels that played a prominent role in the staging of the 1924 Games. The beautifully renovated Grand Hotel des Alpes, the Hotel Mont Blanc and the Hameau Albert Premier all played an important role in hosting the first Olympic Games.
There’s also a commemorative book “Chamonix 1924: the first Olympic Winter Games” published by Glénat available with an English language edition.
What’s Survived From 1924?
Some of the venues have been lost to progress and development in and around Chamonix over the past century, however the original ski jumping ramp, upgraded over the years and superseded by a more modern facility still exists.
The bobsleigh track (above and top) was cut in half by the construction of the Mont Blanc tunnel although it had fallen out of use long before then anyway. Sections of it can still be found in the woods (below) if you are shown where to look!
Bobsleighs were carried up to the top of the course on what was the first stage of a planned lift up to the Auiguille du Midi, which was never fully completed and superseded in the 1950s by the lift that now exists. However the base building of the lift still stands (below), repurposed.
The Olympic Park has largely disappeared but its location remains the sporting heart of Chamonix and home to the resort’s modern ice stadium where you can still watch or try ice sports.
Bobsleigh picture top credit: Collection Denis Cardoso